As expected, the New Orleans Saints have hired Rob Ryan to improve their woeful defense. Ryan interviewed for the defensive coordinator job on Friday, and the team announced the hiring on Saturday.

Ryan will carry out coach Sean Payton’s plan to switch the Saints' defense from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4. The Saints yielded 7,042 yards last season, the worst single-season total in NFL history.

Rob Ryan is the new defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints. (AP Photo)

Ryan was fired after two years as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator and was reportedly close to getting the Rams’ defensive coordinator job last month. But the Rams run a 4-3 and couldn’t work things out with him.

Payton said the Saints have found Ryan's defenses difficult to solve in past matchups. In 2010, Ryan was Cleveland's defensive coordinator when the Browns beat the Saints in the Superdome, 30-17, intercepting four Drew Brees passes.

“We have experience in preparing and playing against his defenses, and they've always been challenging in terms of the different looks and pressures that they feature," Payton said.

Ryan says joining the Saints is a "great opportunity." The team also hired Stan Kwan as assistant special teams coach.

In 2011, Ryan's first year in Dallas, the Cowboys improved to 14th overall from 23rd and ranked seventh against the run.

In 2012, Cowboys opponents were held to a third-down conversion rate of 43.9 percent, which ranked 10th. However, Ryan's injury-ravaged defense finished 19th in yards allowed (355.4) and 24th in points allowed (25.0). Dallas had 16 takeaways, which tied for 29th.

Ryan's defenses have finished in the top 10 only once in his nine seasons as a coordinator in Dallas, Cleveland and Oakland.

Payton also interviewed Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham on Thursday. But Grantham announced on Friday he had withdrawn from consideration for the job.